São Paulo/Pforzheim/Freiburg, August 14, 2013 – from September 18-20, international solar experts and representatives from research, industry and associations meet for the second time at the Expo Center Norte in São Paulo. The Intersolar South America Summit first took place in 2012 in the form of a conference with a focus on South America.

Following the success of the event, this year the conference is expanded to include an exhibition segment. Intersolar South America is thus rolling out the successful combination of conference with exhibition, as used at the international Intersolar events in Europe, North America, India and China. Around 60 speakers and 600 attendees are expected at this year's Intersolar South America Conference. The three-day event program includes current trends in the global, national and regional markets, as well as technological developments in photovoltaics and solar thermal technology.

The South American solar market has become one of the most exciting growth markets in the world. Many countries in the region have recognized the role of solar energy as a future energy supply and are establishing incentive models to encourage the expansion of photovoltaics and solar thermal technology. The Intersolar South America Summit 2012 was designed as a means to support the development of the South American market and reinforcing networking between regional companies and the international solar industry. The 2013 conference also includes an exhibition area. Around 70 exhibitors showcase their latest designs from the fields of photovoltaics, energy storage systems and solar thermal technologies across an area of 2,500m2.
Optimism in the South American solar markets This year, Chile has already approved 4 gigawatts (GW) of solar projects, with a further 2.2GW currently undergoing their final review. In July 2013, the Peruvian Ministry for Energy and Mines (Ministerio de Energía y Minas del Perú) launched a program designed to supply power to two million Peruvians living in rural areas by means of photovoltaic by the end of 2016. Latin America's largest photovoltaic power plant is currently being developed in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur, with a rated output of 30 megawatts (MW). As part of its energy mix, Mexico is planning to achieve 35% of its electricity needs from renewable energy by 2020. The South American markets are waking up, but major challenges lie ahead of them, not least in determining a clear political, legal and financial framework for the expansion of solar energy.

Two sessions at the Intersolar South America Conference tackle developments in individual markets: On September 18, during the "Global & Latin American PV Markets" session, Ingmar Wilhelm, Board Member of the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA), Belgium, analyzes framework conditions, market dynamics and medium and long-term trends in the key markets of Europe, MENA and South America. On September 20, a morning session is dedicated to the special topic "Off-Grid PV Markets: Latin America". On the final day of the conference, the possibilities for solar thermal technology in South America are covered in two further sessions on solar heating and cooling.

Country focus on Brazil There is a special focus at the conference on Brazil, the world's sixth largest economy and South America's most significant solar market. With a population of approximately 200 million, a fast-increasing demand for energy and annual solar irradiation of up to 2,353 kilowatt hours (kWh) per square meter, the climatic conditions are extremely promising. 2012 saw the launch of the "Net Metering" remuneration model by the Agência Nacional de Energia Elétrica (ANEEL), to incentivize new photovoltaic installations. Projects totaling an output of 392MW have already been submitted to the ANEEL this year alone. The most populous state in Brazil, São Paulo, has just revealed plans to generate 69% of its electricity from renewables by 2020 (currently 55%).

On the first day of Intersolar South America, September 18, two conference sessions are specially devoted to the Brazilian market: From 11:00am–12:30pm, the Brazilian Market: Distributed Generation is discussed, then as a follow-on from 1:30-3:00pm, the Brazilian Market: Centralized Generation. Moreover, Rodolfo de Sousa Pinto from the Brazilian Electrical and Electronics Industry Association (ABINEE) addresses the framework conditions and challenges of project financing, especially for Brazil, in his presentation on Project Development & Financing, on September 19, 11:00am–12:30pm.

First Latin American PV Forum As part of Intersolar South America, this year sees the first Latin American PV Forum. On September 20, representatives from governments and industry associations from Mexico, Chile, El Salvador, Uruguay, Argentina, Ecuador and Brazil meet to talk about political framework conditions, to explore potential cooperation, and to discuss current case studies. The event is hosted jointly by the German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar), Berlin, the Berlin-Brandenburg Energy Network, Berlin, and Solar Promotion International, Pforzheim.

Webinar PV in Brazil: Past, Present and Future In the run-up to the exhibition, on August 28, there is a webinar about the current situation and future developments in the Brazilian solar market. Dr. Rodrigo Lopes Sauaia, Coordinator of the Task Force on Taxation - PV Sector Group - Brazilian Electrical and Electronics Industry Association (ABINEE), outlines the various different incentive programs and solar initiative programs, including PRODEEM, Luz para Todos, a Brazilian program for rural electrification, as well as the ANEEL R&D program. Furthermore, the future impact of energy auctions on the Brazilian solar market is discussed.
To register for the conference or to find out more, go to www.intersolar.net.br

About Intersolar

With around 3,000 exhibitors and 100,000 visitors spanning four continents, Intersolar is the world's leading exhibition series for the solar industry and its partners. It unites people and companies from around the world with the aim of increasing the share of solar power in our energy supply.
Intersolar South America on September 18–20, 2013 becomes the 5th event in the Intersolar series, the world's leading exhibition series for the solar industry. The Exhibition and Conference takes place at the Expo Center Norte in São Paulo. Intersolar South America offers for all solar professionals an ideal platform for networking and gathering information on the latest market developments, effective production methods as well as financing and project planning. Both, exhibition and conference provides unique insights on the core topics of photovoltaics, PV production technologies, energy storage and solar thermal technologies.

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